Disability Resources when moving to Wake CO.

One of the hardest things about moving to a new place with a child with special needs is trying to find the resources and support you need. Most of the resources are not found in one place. From my own experience, connecting with other parents who "have been there and done that" has been most helpful. Here is  a list of my top ten resources:

1. Austim Society of North Carolina  Having a young son with autism ASNC has been a great resource. They have a yearly huge conference where they bring top notch speakers. The have local chapters throughout the state for more community/local support. They have an excellent bookstore. They hire parent advocates who are very knowledgeable.
2. ECAC (Exceptional Children's Assistance Center) I used to work closely with them so I am a little biased but even before I worked with them, attending one of their workshops was one of the best educational resources in helping me become my son's best advocate. Every state is mandated to have a parent education center.
3. Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy  One of the best workshops on the IDEA & advocacy educational resources out there.
4. First in Families of NC They are the non profit that I tithe to and yes I used to work for them. They do community based grassroots support across the state of NC. They are consumer & family driven.
5. Family Support Network of NC  They have a huge central directory of resources and they can hook you up with similar parent who have children with similar diagnosis.
6. Disability Rights Center of NC Finally outside of state government where there were clearly conflicts of interests. They have the mission to ensure the rights of all NC citizens with disabilities through individual advocacy and system change.
7. North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities  Their mission is to ensure that people with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of and have access to culturally competent services and supports, as well as other assistance and opportunities, which promote inclusive communities.
8. The Arc of NC They provide advocacy and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The  Arc believes that all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have strengths, abilities and inherent value; are equal before the law; and must be treated with dignity and respect.
9. Easter Seals UCP North Carolina Their mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network. They strive to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every facet of society — from the Web to the workplace, from the classroom to the community. 
10. TASH  They stand for Equity, Opportunity and Inclusion for People with Disabilities. I have attended their nation conferences and been blown away by what I have experience and learned there. I would recommend it to any parent of a child with significant disabilities.

By no means is this a complete list of resources but it is a good start and hopefully will help a new parent moving to the Triangle area. 

Wishing you all the best in your advocacy journey, 

Karen



 More Disability Community Resources:
 
Alliance of Disability Advocates

Promotes independence and consumer control by people with disabilities and to advance civil rights of equal access and full participation in society.

ALS Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter

Leading the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy while also empowering people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

Arts Access of Raleigh

A nonprofit organization based in Raleigh, NC, Art Access of Raleigh makes the Arts accessible to people with disabilities throughout the Triangle area of North Carolina. Specifically, they provide audio description for theatre patrons who are blind or have low vision, refer arts administrators to sign language interpreters, and provide accessibility training to arts organizations and arts accessibility information to the public.

Assistive Technology

The North Carolina Assistive Technology Program (NCATP) is a state and federally funded program that provides assistive technology services statewide to people of all ages and abilities. These devices are designed to assist with everyday functions including mobility, learning, speech, hearing, vision and many others. NCATP allows people to demo these devices at their AT Centers. The centers have training seminars, demo and loan programs, and a trading post where people can exchange devices.

Brain Injury Association of North Carolina

833-9634 or 800.377.1464
The BIANC develops, supports, and/or administers programs, services, and activities that make a difference in the lives of men, women, and children and military and veterans who have been affected by the trauma of brain injury. Sadler has been an ongoing supporter of their annual walk-a-thon.


North Carolina Special Olympics

The Special Olympics organization provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

C.A.R.E.  (Council of Ageless Residential Environments) As part of the Wake County Home Builders Association this council is a primary resource for ageless design in home construction for HBA members, building industry professionals and the general public.

The Center for Universal Design

 The CUD is a national organization that provides information and technical assistance on universal design in housing, commercial and public facilities, outdoor environments, and products. It is in our back yard at NCSU!

CHART (Chapel Hill Area Resources and Tools)

CHART’s purpose is to connect families with the people, tools, and services that will help them to support their loved one with autism or a sensory processing disorder.  They have a wealth of information and resources.

Estate Planning & special needs trusts   Jeff

Jeffrey G. Marsocci is a life and estate planning attorney who has been helping couples, families and individuals with planning matters for more than a decade. He has worked on hundreds of cases to plan for the future while successfully avoiding hidden tax traps, unnecessary legal expenses, and burdensome red tape caused by the probate process.

The Miracle League of the Triangle

This is quite a special organization, whose sole mission is to provide opportunities to all children with special needs to play baseball regardless of their abilities. They have constructed special facilities that meet the unique needs of players and their families. My son has played on their teams before and the support is incredible.  If you have a child with special needs, or would like to participate in one of their game events, feel free to reach out. They can always use volunteers.

National MS Society Carolinas Chapter

The Carolinas Chapter serves nearly 17,000 people living with MS and their families in 97 counties of North Carolina and all of South Carolina.  There are three driving goals behind this change:
To offer more education, support, advocacy and services for people affected by MS
To raise more money and increase our commitment to MS research
To improve operating efficiencies so we can spend more time providing the superior programs, services and fundraising events that you have come to expect from us

UnitedHealth Care Children’s Foundation

The UnitedHealthCare Children’s foundation has grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to parents and legal guardians of disabled children for health care services and medical equipment inadequately covered by insurance.

Veteran Resources:

Project Healing Waters

Dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.



Senior Resources:
 
Gold Coalition

Gold Coalition is a public/private organization focused on Wake County Aging issues, including housing. One of their most important outreach missions includes arranging for home improvements and repairs for seniors in need on an as-needed basis. Volunteer programs can also assist with painting and other minor repairs. For more major repairs, loan and grant programs are available through the City of Raleigh, Wake County, and the USDA.


Resources for Seniors

Provides home and community-based services and information in the Wake County area so that they can maximize their choices for independence, comfort, safety, security and well-being. They provide information and support for decision-making, and also direct services such as home care, adult day care, senior centers.

CAPS  (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) contractors:


Blue Ribbon Residential Construction

Blue Ribbon™ Residential Construction is a fully-licensed award winning residential contracting company in Raleigh, NC that provides a full-range of remodeling services that can improve your current space — from original designs to complete construction. They are very versed in accessibility & working with seniors

Sadler Construction

Sadler Construction is the Triangle’s only CAPS certified home builder that is focused exclusively on designing, renovating and constructing barrier-free/accessible  homes and remodels. Owned and operated by Lewis Sadler, Lewis believes that we all deserve to live as independently as possible for as long as possible.

Stanton Homes

Stanton Homes builds exceptional living experiences in the Raleigh/Triangle area. Featuring extras like accessible homes, military programs, green building techniques, and lots of unique features.

Helping the WHOLE disability community & the "aging in place" community with their real estate needs

Ten reasons why I love my niche:

1. It feels good helping people 
2. The Deaf community appreciates a Realtor who can communicate in ASL 
3. I like being unique
4. It's were my heart and values are
5. It's real...in other words it is where my life experiences have led me 
6. I do a good job & people appreciate my work & help (Please read) 
7.  It was cool having an article written about me in our local Cary paper (to read the article)
8. There is a real NEED for my expertise
9. It's cool being a maverick
10. I enjoy being part of this community! Life is a circle and with my success I give back to this community as well.  

 

 

C.A.R.E (Council for Ageless Residential Environments) doing a fundraiser to support the Sassafras accessible playground in Raleigh

 The newly formed CARE (Council for Ageless Residential Environments)  of the Raleigh/Wake County Homebuilders Association is planning a fundraiser on March 15th at NeuWave Systems from 5:00 – 8:00pm.  A $25 ticket gets you BBQ, beer tastings from local breweries and participation in an auction being held that evening.  Part of the proceeds will go to  Sassafras,  a planned accessible playground in Raleigh. Please watch the video to learn more.


Sassafras: accessible playground


 Please call me 919 931-1939 or text or email me Karen@AccessHomesNC.com for more information or to buy tickets.

Honored by an article in my local paper

I am honored and tickled pink that there was an article written in my local paper about my niche in real estate and what I do. The title is "No barriers to a dream home".  My mission is be of serve to the WHOLE disability and "aging in place" community. Hopefully the article will bring more business my way but as quoted in the article, "It's very rewarding; it's not about the money. It's more about helping people find the right home that's going to work for them."

This is a link to the article.

Cary News article

 I do, what I do because it comes from my heart. I have always been around people of "different abilities". My sister was born deaf and due to the effects of Rubella she was more fragile than most kids plus she could not speak their language. When she died in 1983. After this, I threw myself into work in the Deaf community. I learned to respect their culture and love ASL, their language. It is sad to admit, but my signing skills improved  after she died. It was because of the immersion. I was the best signer in my family but when I went to her school ( Austine School for the Deaf), I have vivid memories of saying to her friends "Say it again, slowly". Immersing yourself in a culture teaches you quickly. I owe a lot of who I am today to my sister Susan and my experiences growing up with her.

Susan, in some way, prepared me to be Joshua's mom (my youngest son). Joshua has autism. He is high functioning and fully included in school, but he will always struggle with his autism, social things and emotions. There have been times in his life when he exhibited classic autism: not talking till the age of 4 1/2, flapping his hands, biting himself, talking to himself with rote scripts, ect. Because of inclusion, he has done very well. He has incredible gifts to share. He is very gregarious for someone with autism and the kids in school genuinely like him. He is not afraid to stand up in front of a crowd and do his thing. You should have seen him at his poetry slam at school last year. He ROCKED the house.

Yes I am a proud mom.

Albert Einstein once said, "Everyone is a genius. If you judge a fish on it's ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life believing it is stupid." I love this quote.

I do what I love: helping people and being of service in my community. It just happens to be focused in real estate.  It seems to have served me well....ten fold.

Cary Pines : Why I love my neighborhood

I have lived in Cary Pines subdivision for 15 years and I love where I live! Here are ten reasons why.

1. Our homes hold their value and are easy to sell

With in the last 2 years 80% of the homes sold within 2 months or less. That is pretty spectacular.

2. We're in a wonderful location (Great commuter location to RTP, I 40, & down town Raleigh)

3. We're a 10-15 min drive to the RDU but we’re not in the flight path

4. We're walking distance to the Cary Dog Park (bow wow)

 

5. We're walking distance to Godbold Park and Cary’s Skate Park

6. There are 3 different grocery stores within a mile of our subdivision

7. Incredible neighborhood schools

8. There is a wonderful Greenway behind our subdivision

9.  Low crime & concerned neighbors who look out for each other

10.  Target is Coming! (less than 2 miles away!)

By the way we are also on Facebook!

Want to stay connected to your past clients in a unique way?

I just came up with a wonderful plan to stay in front of my clients and create blogging material showing how I'm an expert in my area!

The issue:

When we first moved to Cary NC 14 years ago from Worcester, MA the one thing that I missed was good restaurants. By good, I mean ethic, with a real chef serving good wholesome delicious food. We have many restaurants but they are chains like: Macaroni Grill, Chili's, The Outback. They were not bad but just not that exciting or novel. Over the years I have found good eateries in our community but you have to go out & find them. Then once you find them it's good to spread the word!

The solution:

OK here you go.  So I was inspired this morning when I went on Facebook and saw that my lender friend had just tried a new Lebanese restaurant in Raleigh called Sitti. I went to their website. http://www.sitti-raleigh.com  I love food and the pictures made me want to run out & try it even though I had just had breakfast. 

So my FANTASTIC idea was: why not come up with a way that I can visit these unique, local restaurants, experience their food and write about it in my blog and create a contest where I pick a random past clients to join me on my restaurant venture? Seems to me I'd be killing a bunch of birds with one stone. Reconnecting with my clients, spending quality time one on one with them & catching up on their lives AND experiencing delicious food and the local fare. It felt like a "no brainer" to me. I can also show that I'm an expert of best restaurants in Raleigh & the surrounding area (my community) while I'm reconnecting with my past clients!

 A win, win for everyone!

This plan will allow me to enjoy the best restaurants in the Triangle, while reconnecting with my past clients in an authentic meaningful way, creating a little buzz around the random winners, and being the community expert by blogging & telling folks where they can go for good eats! What new comer would not want to know that?